A sponsored live in the snow above a ski resort without a tent.
I attempted this last year but inadvertantly got engaged and thus distracted but now I'm back, still engaged, and eager to give it another go. Currently I'm testing some kit and working out the logisics. There are various things to consider; how not to freeze to death, how to spend time with my fiance, how not to get carried away by an avalanche / yeti and how to not let this interfere with my job.

Tuesday, 18 October 2005

Sunrise II (This Time its Personal)

I may have mentioned before that I am using a jetboil to do my ‘cooking’ on, I have been nothing other than impressed with it, there is only one draw back to it and that is that it is only really good for heating stuff up rather than proper cooking. However, if what you are after is something to heat up food quickly and with minimum fuss this is the bit of kit for you. This morning for example I was in my sleeping bag and not wanting to get up and all I had to do was reach out with one arm (I had cunningly left it with water in last night) switch it on and wait for it to boil, then I just added a tea bag and waited for it to brew. The cooking pot is also an insulated mug with a lid, waking up to a cup of tea on a cold morning without having to mess about priming is the business. Sure once it gets cold I will probably have to sleep with the gas canister and the water in my sleeping bag to stop them from freezing but other than that it’s all pretty civilised.

One of the things I really like about the jet boil, I only discovered this last night and I’m fairly sure that this did not come up in one of the design briefs, is it’s hands free climbing application. The cup has a wide nylon handle and last night discovered it is possible to grip the handle between my teeth and climb without spilling any (much) of the contents. This discovery allowed me to take in the full brilliance of last night’s full moon from a vantage point in the top of a tree whilst drinking Hot Chocolate.

This morning’s sunrise was intense, if yesterday’s had been a water colour of pastel shades then today’s was a dramatic oil painting of rich reds and intense oranges blasting through boiling clouds. Red sky at night shepherds delight, red sky in the morning shepherds warning so they say, any shepherd seeing the sunrise this morning would have been well advised to go home and hide in the cupboard under the stairs with a blanket over his head.

"a bloody idiot"Michael Parkinson"I did this for one night, and I'm shot to pieces."Ed Ceaser, The Independent"more Epicurean than eco-warrior"Jemima Lewis,The Guardian"a New Puritan poster boy"Lucy Siegle, The Observer

"If he sticks it out for a year, it will be difficult to return to the noise of the city."Professor John Collings - Before Ditch Monkey I"a bum"Bill Heine Radio Oxford